WASHINGTON, D.C. — Dollar General is facing new safety violations and fines after federal workplace inspectors found the company again exposing employees to fire hazards and other unsafe conditions at two Tampa-area stores.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations for two repeat violations after a Jan. 18, 2023, inspection at a Brandon store identified exit routes blocked and electrical hazards. Inspectors also found the store did not have a working employee restroom and left a restroom sewer drain uncovered, which created a tripping hazard.
Two days later in Dade City, OSHA inspectors found an emergency exit blocked by rolling containers and merchandise, exposing workers to fire and entrapment hazards.
After these inspections, OSHA issued citations to Dollar General Corp. for three repeat, two serious and three other-than-serious violations and proposed penalties of $342,282. Since 2017, the company has faced more than $21 million in fines after more than 243 inspections nationwide.
“After more than 200 failed inspections, Dollar General cannot claim that they misunderstand federal safety requirements. At this point, we can only conclude that they choose to continue exposing their employees to hazardous conditions,” said OSHA Area Director Danelle Jindra in Tampa, Florida. “Dollar General must make changes to correct these recurring violations before a worker is needlessly injured or worse.”
Dollar General has also faced legal battles in Ohio over deceptive pricing. Attorney General Dave Yost filed a consumer protection lawsuit against the corporation on Nov. 1, 2022, alleging that some of its stores were charging more than the prices advertised.
In February of this year, Dollar General agreed to a stipulated order with Yost’s office that requires the company to take steps to ensure that shelf prices match the charged prices.
The stipulated order does not constitute an admission of liability on the part of Dollar General or an admission that a discrepancy exists between shelf prices and charged prices.
